Clinch spot bearing

Abstract

The rotatable joinder of two sheets is provided by a two-piece interfitting bearing assembly with each element separately attached to one of the sheets so that the sheets are joined but rotation is controlled by the interfitting bearing surfaces. The interfitting parts comprise an inner and outer race which are placed together in superposition with aligned apertures in the sheets. The rotatable attachment of the sheets is accomplished in a single pressing operation in which each race is simultaneously pressed into one of the sheets with a gap remaining between them.

1. A bearing assembly for rotatably joining two sheets, comprising:
 a planar top sheet having a first aperture; 
 an outer race located within said first aperture and having an axial bore and means receiving a cold flow of metal from the top sheet rigidly attaching it thereto; 
 a bottom sheet in face-to-face relation with said top sheet and having a second aperture in axial alignment with said first aperture about an axis; 
 a unitary inner race partly located within said axial bore of said outer race and extending axially at least to a point partially within said second aperture, said inner race having circumferential clinch attachment means receiving a cold flow of metal from said bottom sheet rigidly securing it to said bottom sheet; and 
 wherein said inner race has a head of increased diameter greater than the diameter of said outer race bore thereby captivating the top sheet to the bottom sheet, said inner race and outer race being closely dimensioned to rotatably join the top sheet to said bottom sheet about said axis. 
 
   
   
     2. The bearing assembly of  claim 1  wherein the head of said inner race includes an angled outer sidewall. 
   
   
     3. The bearing assembly of  claim 2  wherein said outer race includes an angled inner sidewall for closely receiving the outer sidewall of said head. 
   
   
     4. The bearing assembly of  claim 3  further including a spring encircling a shank portion of said inner race between said top and bottom sheets and being in abutment with said sheets at each end of said spring resiliently biasing said sheets apart. 
   
   
     5. The bearing assembly of  claim 1  wherein the head of the inner race is flush with a top surface of the top sheet and opposite end of the inner race is flush with a bottom surface of the bottom sheet.